


One and Only

by greygerbil



Category: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: Jealousy, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-25 16:47:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17729042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greygerbil/pseuds/greygerbil
Summary: There's just one person at the ball Darcy wants to dance with.





	One and Only

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jougetsu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jougetsu/gifts).



> Hi! I saw that you liked character pieces and their adorable friendship (which could so easily develop into something more), so here is a little treat that I hope you'll like.

“Do you know, Darcy, that I have no idea why we are friends?”

Darcy looked up from the ground at Charles with a small frown. They were walking down a broad Westminster cobblestone street. It was early in the night still and lights burned in the windows they passed and on the lanterns of carriages that overtook them; too early, really, to turn in. However, Darcy had plainly not found any entertainment to suit him at the ball, and while he had given Charles leave to go and dance with as many women as he liked while he waited, Charles was more inclined to spend the evening alone with him instead if Darcy was not happy.

“Am I to take this as an insult?” Darcy asked.

“No, but you say that the people we meet are vapid and you find they don’t speak of anything of interest, and I daresay I don’t see how I’m different from most of them! The ones at the ball tonight seemed perfectly agreeable, for example.”

“Then you underestimate yourself,” Darcy answered, simply.

Charles had to smile at the compliment. Still, it wouldn’t do to let him get away like this. 

“Really, have you no desire at all to take to the floor when the music plays and there are so many pretty girls around?”

“You know I don’t like to dance with people I don’t know.”

“How is that going to work if you don’t ever get to know someone new?” Charles cried. “My sisters can’t always be around. I’m telling you, Darcy, if you go on like this, I will make you dance with _me_ one of these nights. You know me, after all, so by your logic you would have no grounds to refuse.”

“Actually, I would prefer dancing with you to the company of some girl I won’t see again when the evening is over. At least I could be sure of decent conversation and I not feel like I’m wasting my time.”

Charles found himself silenced by this answer, overcome with the picture of Darcy and him spinning across the dance floor together. Darcy danced quite beautifully when he could be moved to do it, perfectly in time with the music and secure in the way he led, so much so that Charles doubted he would resist following his directions, even being a man himself.

He tried to put the thought out of his mind. Being with Darcy made him very happy, and, not being used to suppressing his good moods, this left him open sometimes to saying foolish things which revealed too much of his true feelings. When Darcy picked up on them instead of discarding these ideas, it became hard to answer anything polite. He gave a loud laugh instead that didn’t sound quite true to his own ears.

“I don’t know why you concern yourself with this business,” Darcy continued. “What does it matter to you whether I dance or stand perfectly silent in a corner for hours, if I please to do so?”

This, at least, Charles could speak on.

“People so often come away with the impression that you are cold when I know this to be untrue. If you gave them a chance to get to know you, they would learn you are kind and caring and have many clever things to say – and you can even be agreeable if you want to be so.”

Darcy fixed him with a stare that Charles found hard to read. It seemed to be searching his face for something.

“I understand. You have a different goal than me, that is the problem. In truth, the good opinion of these people means little to me, as long as they don’t think me capable of any grievous offences or crimes. Yours I care about. Tell me, is it waning?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then there is no reason for me to change my behaviour.” Darcy lifted his chin and looked straight ahead. “I have never felt the need to surround myself with a hundred friends and acquaintances like you do, picking up new ones at every place I visit. I may be one of many to you, but for my part, I am content to have one particular man to turn to in case I want companionship.”

The accusation inherent in these words had Charles bristling. What a thing to say! He found himself taking hold of Darcy’s elbow, squeezing it firmly.

“You are speaking nonsense now, Darcy! You know that of all my friends, you are the most esteemed and the one in whose opinion I place the highest regard.”

Darcy made a noncommittal sound and regarded Charles from the corner of his eyes.

“You seemed cross to have to leave all those pretty girls behind to go home with me.”

“Only because I had hoped we would both have fun at the ball, and you were so plainly unhappy to be there.”

Darcy stopped and Charles grew aware of the fact that he was still clinging to his arm as they stood suddenly too close, shoulders almost touching. Darcy looked conflicted; it was not an expression he wore often, for such emotions were usually shut up behind masks of thoughtfulness or anger. Finally, he turned his head away and though Charles thought that with the way his jaw moved it looked like he wanted to say something, he remained silent. Charles’ heart felt constricted by his ribs now.

“It’s not late yet. Perhaps we can retire to your room and you tell me of this book of poems you picked up. You have had your head in it for two days now,” Charles offered, hoping to make peace. He could never stand it if Darcy was displeased with him.

Though the change in his Darcy’s face may have been unnoticeable to most, Charles saw the way his gaze softened a little.

“I don’t wish to bore you with that.”

“You won’t,” Charles gave back.

In fact, the promise to have Darcy all to himself could never be boring, and to see his friend, who rejected company so easily, smile briefly at Charles’ idea made his face feel warm. It was only now that Charles remembered to let go of his arm, but actually, Darcy had not complained of the prolonged touch, which was a very nice thing to dwell on in his thoughts as they strolled back to their hotel.


End file.
